Allen Cameron in Choctaw County, Mississippi

[Michael Hill]

The 1840 census shows "Allen Camron" listed directly above "Archibald W. Camron" (husband of Lucy Harvey) in Choctaw County, Mississippi:

Choctaw Co., Mississippi, page 10, 1840

Allen Camron; 2 M<5, 1 M5-10, 1 M50-60, 2 F<5, 1 F5-10, 1 F30-40
Archibald W. Camron; 1 M20-30, 2 F<5, 1 F20-30; two slaves: 1 F10-24, 1 F24-36

The 1850 census shows the same two families (but no Allen, who presumably died between 1840 and 1850) still in Choctaw County:

Subdivision 23, Choctaw Co., Mississippi, 1850

Household #140:

Mary Camern; 45; F; NC
Charles Camern; 16; M; NC (farmer)
Margret Camern; 15; F; NC
Izabella Camern; 14; F; Ala
Hugh Camern; 12; M; Ala
Jane Camern; 10; F; Miss
Mary Camern; 4; F; Miss

Household #819:

A.W. Cameron; 38; North Carolina (Baliff)
Lucy Cameron; 34; Georgia
Mary Cameron; 15; Alabama
Adaline Cameron; 11; Mississippi
Nancy Cameron; 9; Mississippi
Thomas Cameron; 5; Mississippi
Ruphus Cameron; 3; Mississippi
Folry Cameron; 9/13; Mississippi
Isaac Harvey; 21; Alabama; (Keeping Grocery)

The 1860 census shows the same families still in Choctaw County:

Township 19, Choctaw Co., Mississippi, 1860

Household #1160:

Lucy Cameron; 44; F; Ga (householdmistress)
Cynthia Cameron; 20; F; Missi (Schoolmistress)
Nancy Cameron; 18; F; Missi (Schoolmistress)
Thamazin Cameron; 16; F; Missi (farm laborer)
Rufus K Cameron; 13; M; Missi
Bell Cameron; 10; F; Missi
Alice Cameron; 8; F; Missi

Household #1169:

Mary Cameron; 52; F; NC (household mistress)
Flora Cameron; 24; F; Ala (spinster)
Hugh A Cameron; 21; M; Ala (farmer)
Jane Cameron; 20; F; Missi (spinster)
Mary Cameron; 14; F; Missi

Household #1170:

C.C. Cameron: 26; M; NC (farmer)
Julia Cameron; 24; F; Ala (house hold mistress)
Allen Cameron; 3; M; Missi
Frances Cameron; 1; F; Missi

Does anybody know who Allen Cameron was and whether he was related to Archibald Cameron?

[Sidney Levesque]

I am a descendant of Archibald W. "A.W." Cameron, the man living next door to Allen Cameron in the 1840 census in Choctaw County.

I have a hunch that Allen Cameron was Archibald's father. Based on the census date, Allen appears to have been born 1780-1790, which matches the time period when John "Merchant" Cameron of North Carolina was having children.
I am not sure this Allen Cameron is the same one many family trees cite was married in 1831 and born in 1800 based on a marriage record they found for someone of the same name. I think based on the 1840 census data, which lists the oldest male in the 50-60 age range, that he was born much earlier and that the Mary Cameron living with him was probably his second wife as she is much younger (30-40 age range) and that Archibald was probably a son from a previous marriage.

That would also explain why Archibald's family did not stay in touch, it appears, with Allen's second family as those were his half siblings.

If Allen Cameron was born 1780s, he would have been old enough to father Archibald in 1812.